Buckeye Deja Vu

I don't think it's time to freak out about this team just yet for a couple reasons. First and foremost, the year we won the Title we lost our second game to Virginia Tech and yes, that still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Secondly, We are only going into Week 3 against an Army team, which basically serves as a rebound for the loss. Third, I don't think the issue is JT, but instead the coaching staff. When we signed Urban and he became our coach, Ohio State fans saw National Championships on the horizon because that is what Urban is known for. I think Urban's offense has been figured out, meaning the QB Option and QB runs are easy to diagnose so the plays are not successful anymore.

I want to draw attention to how Ohio State beat Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon; Cardale sat back and threw the ball downfield or handed it off to Elliot and we all know what happened than. Herman sat back and called traditional plays. There was very little option or trickery so-to-speak. It was old-fashioned football and we beat everyone with it. Every time JT runs the ball I cringe because we have two great running backs in Dobbins and Webber. Both received the ball against Oklahome and broke some pretty good runs, but for whatever reason we threw the ball afterwards.

I don't think our offense has an identity because it seems like every game we take what the defense gives us and a way we go. We don't impose our will on people. After the game Cardale Jones tweeted about how the last time we lost our second game we won the National Championship. I won't go that far in labeling this season for what it is, a mystery. I say it is a mystery because even with the coaching changes and supposed change in philosphy JT seems to have slipped back into second guessing himself.

I won't say that we won't get a Title this year, but JT has to stop thinking too much. It took Herman three years to get JT where he was. Are we to suspect it's going to take that long for another Coordinator to get him back there. News flash, JT is gone after this year.

I think the coming years will show Ohio State much as they are now, not understanding what kind of football team they are. Jim Tressel was famous for "pounding the rock" and we saw a lot of success with that philosophy. However, Urban came in and it became a "spread option - we are going to open things up" When he said that, that is when we lost our identity because the spread option is not a one size fits all formula. I will say it again, we won the National Championship with Cardale sitting in the pocket and throwing the ball or handing it off to Elliott. That's what we did, without the gimmicks of the spread.

In the years to come Urban has to decide what we are and stick with it or we will continue to have let downs like we did with Oklahoma.

Buckeyes Fan to Buckeye Players

I am an avid Buckeye fan, I am an arm chair coach, and I watch anything I can on Buckeye football and I have done so since I was born. I say all of that because I hear that Buckeye players talk about fans being bandwagon fans, where we are only rooting for the Scarlet and Gray when we are winning. I, for one, believe that to be a slap in the face. 

I don't believe that players are trying to be disrespectful, but they are victims of the moment. They are emotional like fans are. I would still like to explain something to the players and coaches from a fan perspective though. I hear Urban on press conferences and during whatever interview he gives talk coach speak about improving and moving on and that is fine, but to fans that is not enough. 

This is what makes me mad..... we hear analysts on ESPN, sports shows, and on radio talk about the stars behind the name of another player coming to Ohio State. We have been #2 almost every year that Urban has been a coach here in terms of recruiting. We see coaching changes almost every year or it seems like it. Every year our pre-season ranking is #2 if not in the top 5. Buckeye fans take all of this into account when see how the team is performing. Keyword performing. I think that Buckeye Nation is smart enough to tune out the commentary before, during and after the game/season because we know what expectations are. 

Fans do not expect undefeated seasons year after year, but we expect to do our best each game, with that best being better than the opponents best resulting in a win. We hear about stars and talent but than we see an offense that cannot move the ball, a quarterback that gets more carries than our running backs, receivers that are not open at all during a game, and an offensive line that does not give good enough pass protection. We see a defense that is like a brick wall, but than our defensive backs can break up passes and are caught looking at the quarterback so passes go flying over their heads. So we hear about how good we are on paper but than none of that commentary seems to matter when the clock is ticking. 

We lost to Oklahoma not because of talent, but because our talent is not being used. There is not one offense that fears JT and they know that he will get carries during the game. Because they do not fear JT they know that there won't be much passing over their heads. If we have speed, than why not do a 5 step drop and launch the ball and let our speedy wide receivers run under it? JK and Webber had good runs against Oklahoma yet JT got the majority of the carries. 

Urban has a tendency of believing all of his QB's are Tim Tebow Jr's when they are not and news flash, that offense did not work much longer after it was used. In fact, the year we won the National Championship was predominantly running and throwing the ball. Urban looks at our team as everyone but the QB is a blocker. That is how he treated Florida when he had a Tebow and he is trying to do the same with JT.

I will end this post by saying this

Ohio State football gives any sports network record viewership and nearly every game we pack The Shoe for whatever team. Every spring game since the National Championship has seen attendance at almost if not over 100,000 and that is for a spring game. I don't want to hear about bandwagon fans when those statements are true.